The present invention relates generally to the field of fluorescent lighting and in particular to a new and useful controller for selectively controlling a series of connected fluorescent lights to produce different lighting effects, such as in a photographic or film studio.
Lighting systems used in photographic studios, film studios, location shots, television sets and live theater stage productions are often elaborate and include many different lighting devices and effects devices to produce a desired lighting combination. Most often, however, these lights are incandescent, rather than fluorescent.
Until recently, fluorescent lighting produced a noticeably different light, or different color temperature, than conventional incandescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps can now be made which produce light suitable for use in a variety of situations, including photographic studios, film studios, location shots and television studios.
As a result, fluorescent lighting is becoming more popular for use in lighting for photography, television studios and film studios. Fluorescent lighting differs from incandescent lighting most notably in that fluorescent lights include a ballast which generates the necessary power from supplied power to energize gas in each lamp tube and create a visible discharge. Unlike an incandescent lamp, the amount of power received by a fluorescent lamp is not linearly proportionate to the brightness output of the lamp. That is, a power setting of 50% of maximum does not necessarily produce a brightness output of 50% of maximum for a fluorescent lamp.
In recent years, many different aspects of lighting systems have been computerized to improve the ease and speed with which a lighting program for a particular stage show can be set up. The difficulty experienced when attempting to dim or otherwise control fluorescent lamps compared with incandescent lamps has been a primary reason why fluorescent lighting systems are not used in these systems.
While many different control systems are available for controlling complex lighting arrangements, one protocol which is generally accepted for use in theater lighting in particular is the DMX-512 protocol. DMX-512 protocol refers to a protocol standard as defined by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT).
Presently, a DMX-512 protocol controller has up to 512 channels transmitted serially to each of any number of connected lighting system devices. Known devices each contain a manually set address circuit which identifies the particular channel or channels that the device will take instructions from the DMX-512 controller. Each of the DMX-512 controller channels has multiple levels, or amplitude settings, to produce different conditions in the connected lighting devices, whether they be dimmers, color mixers, etc.
The DMX-512 protocol used in a DMX-512 protocol controller is described in a United States Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT) publication entitled, xe2x80x9cDMX512/1990 Digital Data Transmission Standard for Dimmers and Controllers.xe2x80x9d The protocol is a network protocol having a central controller for creating stream of network data consisting of sequential data packets. Each packet initially contains a header for checking compliance with the standard and synchronizing the beginning of data transmission, which is then discarded. A stream of sequential data bytes representing data for sequentially addressed devices follows the header. For example, if the data packet contains information for device number 31, then the first 30 bytes after the header in the data stream will be discarded by device number 31 and byte 31 will be saved and used. When more than one byte of information is needed by a device, then its device number is its starting address and the number of required bytes after the starting address will be saved and used. The DMX-512 protocol uses a data stream of up to 512 bytes, excluding the header, each having hexadecimal values corresponding to decimal numbers from 0-255.
A drawback to the known lighting devices used with DMX-512 protocol systems is that the addresses of the devices must be set manually using DIP switches by a person having physical contact with the device. In order to change the address of a particular device, the DIP switches must be reset in the proper configuration for the new address.
However, U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,201, issued in the name of the inventor of this invention, discloses, among other things, a method for remotely programming the addresses of lighting control devices using a DMX protocol.
The DMX-512 protocol control system is discussed in connection with the lighting system taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,302. The lighting system is programmable with intensity changes, movements, etc., but the addresses of the lamps and other devices are not programmable.
Other types of lighting systems with digitally addressable devices are known.
For example, a lighting system with programmable addressable dimmers is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,332, which discusses the problems associated with manually set addressable dimmers and teaches a dimmer which is addressed by first entering a program mode by depressing buttons. An address is then set in the dimmer memory by using a central controller to generate the address location data and send the address to the dimmer. The address location data is a binary word.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,871 teaches a lighting system in which individual lamp controllers may have their addresses programmed electronically from a central controller unit. When one of the lamp controllers is placed in a programming mode, a Master Control Unit (MCU) in the central controller unit is used to generate an identification (ID) for the lamp controller. The particular ID is set by incrementing or decrementing any channel on the central controller between 1 and 31. The ID value is shown in binary code on a LED display. The ID in the lamp controller is the address used to select the lamp(s) connected to the lamp controller. The lamp controller may be a dimmer or on/off switch, for example.
A control system with programmable receivers for controlling appliances is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,957. The receivers may control lights, for example. The original addresses for the controlling receivers are initially set manually, but may be changed electronically once the receivers are connected to the control system. The addresses of the receivers are set automatically based on their positioning within the system, rather than by a person on an arbitrary basis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,705 discloses a memory addressing system in which a central control unit sends a message signal with an address code to several attached devices over a bus interface. Devices which are encoded to accept the address code respond to the message signal. At column 6, lines 3-8, this patent indicates that the functional addresses recognized by a device may be changed using a control message. The memory addressing system is not specifically for a lighting system, but rather, is for use in a general data processing system.
Lighting systems using addressable lamps controlled by computers are also known in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,176 teaches a lighting system controlled by a personal computer. The computer can address individual lamps which have pre-programmed addresses. However, changing the addresses of the lamps using the computer is not taught.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,187 discloses a console-controlled lighting system having addressable lights of the manual set type. The electronic address of each light is set using manual thumb switches. The console sends instructions which are interpreted by the light to which they are addressed.
A series of lighting cues can be programmed and stored in memory in each lamp of the lighting system disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,806. The different lighting cues, or setups, can be recalled by a signal sent from a central controller. The electronic addresses of the individual lamps are not changed using the controller.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,216 discloses a track lighting system having individual lights with manually set address switches contained in the light housings.
While the prior lighting systems are useful, they lack features which are necessary for working with fluorescent lighting and simplify controlling multiple devices from a studio location versus a separate control room.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a controllable lighting system for fluorescent lights which includes dimming, on/off and mechanical movement controls.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a lighting control system having a multiple-mode controller for a light or other studio device for alternately controlling the light and other devices connected in series with the light.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a control system using a slow infrared remote control to drive a fast serial network protocol for controlling a network of connected devices.
A further object of the invention is to provide a lighting control system which is easily accessible by multiple users from different remote locations.
Accordingly, a lighting control system of the invention has a light with an integrated multi-mode controller having a serial network protocol, such as DMX-512, output and an external infrared/radio frequency sensor. A remote control is provided for controlling the multi-mode controller from a distance. Keypad inputs are provided for controlling the multi-mode controller locally.
The light with the multi-mode controller can be connected to several other devices in series or parallel using the serial network protocol output, provided the other devices have a circuit for interpreting serial or parallel network protocol commands. The integrated multi-mode controller includes a dimming function for fluorescent lamps to smoothly dim the light output from full bright to dark despite the non-linear dimming curve of such lamps. Further, the light can be shut down remotely. The address of the lights can be changed remotely as well. The multi-mode controller includes an output for sending yoke control instructions to a motorized yoke for panning, tilting and changing the elevation of a device, such as the light, attached to the yoke.
In a preferred embodiment, multiple devices connected to the multi-mode controller are controlled using a network protocol, such as DMX-512, when the multi-mode controller is placed in that mode of operation. The multi-mode controller can effectively imitate a DMX-512 or other type of controller for any connected devices. The multi-mode controller operation can be handled using the remote control or from the multi-mode controller panel on the light. The remote control may transmit signals to the multi-mode controller more slowly than the multi-mode controller transmits to the connected devices, or they may operate at the same speed. That is, in one embodiment, a slow transmitting remote control may be used to control a high-speed network using the multi-mode controller.
In a second mode of operation, the multi-mode controller and remote control only control the operation of the single light or other device with which the multi-mode controller is integrated.
The several features of the multi-mode controller of the invention may all be accessed using either the remote control or the keypad.
A further feature of the light control system of the invention is a digital hours of operation counter for the lamps installed in the light having the multi-mode controller. Most lamps consistently produce light of a different color temperature after a certain number of hours of operation than when they are new. The hours of operation counter is used to indicate when the lamps in the light should be replaced. The hours of operation is displayed on an LCD or other digital display on the multi-mode controller. The hours of operation can also be displayed on display of the remote control. The digital display can be used to provide other information to a user as well, including dimming levels, current function selected and mode of operation indicator, among other things.
The information shown to a user in the digital display can be relayed to the remote control via a bi-directional link between the remote control and the multi-mode controller. The information may then be displayed on the remote control with a similar digital display as on the multi-mode controller, for example.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.